Solar panels to lighten alternator load?

[Tesla]

The alternator system is designed to keep battery always topped up, but solar panel needs time to top up battery, so if it is more than a 5-10w battery topper, to do it most effectively you do need a system to disable alternator circuit, otherwise it will just do it's job and leave the solar panel as a wasted fixture.
In addition to this additional battery capacity as an energy buffer would be of benefit, so that one could do at least 1-2 hours driving without any additional power inputs. This will help even out a day or two of no Sun.

[stovie]

I believe it was on Amazon that you could buy 500 solar cells for $350 you have to solder them together yourself but the power output of each cell is .5volts at 1.3watts so 500 of them together equals about 45amps at 14.5volts or about 650watts. Now if you can find room on your car for all of them then that could eliminate the alternator! They're 3x6 inches.

[Mark Serva]

Since one of my projects is a pick-up truck, am not so able to do much more for its aerodynamics, that a solar panel on the cab's roof would help top-off the battery and keep it a little cooler in the summer as I live in a warm place. Also, I thought about a flip down panel inside the cab since I usually have to park it facing the sun. I don't drive it much. Probably needs charging just from sitting un-used. Because I don't drive it much, I suspect any mods would take a decade to pay off.

My main problem is I live near a rich kid high school who like to larcen nearby vehicles and one hellion might just break the glass for fun. Has anybody heard of smallish solar panels, about 3 x 4 feet that have hard to break covers?

[freebeard]

duckduckgo.com/?q=flexible%20solar%20panels

Thin flexible panels would fit the cab better, but are less productive.

[redpoint5]

I like the idea of a small one inside the cab plugged into the cigarette lighter (if it remains active with the ignition off) to keep the battery topped up.

[freebeard]

I've got one, but neither car has a cigar lighter.

[Mark Serva]

Wow, I bought a couple of those years ago. I think VW put them on new cars for shipping. I'll have to forage around and figure out where I put them. Thanks.

[serialk11r]

Batteries are really expensive to cycle and cars don't have enough area, so I just use solar trickle charging. I put two small panels on the windshields of two cars to keep the batteries topped up.